Grasse, France

Grasse is known as the centre of the French perfume industry and as the world’s perfume capital. It has been a perfume town since the 17th century and has had a growing perfume industry since the end of the 18th century.
Every year about two million tourists are attracted by the town and arrive from all over the world to visit the perfume museum, perfume factories and perfume shops.
None the less, the town is also worth a visit if you are not interested in perfume.
I, for instance had no idea of all these things before visiting the city in the south of France.

Alongside the Place des Aires with its arcades and Louis XV fountain, you can find many restaurants and bars. It is a great place to start of the explore with a fresh drink.
After you leave the square, you can walk along the narrow streets that are quite busy in the summer, packed with typical boutiques and stalls.

Another great feature is the close proximity to the Cote d’Azur, the hills around give Grasse a fresher climate than the beach and the city gives off a great alternative to a summer vacation at the beach.
As you can see in the picture above, every few minutes a mix of water and perfume is sprayed across the streets, leaving everything in a clean and flowerish scent.

I would also suggest looking for the Notre-Dame du Puy cathedral, built in the Provençal Romanesque style in the 11th century and frequently altered since.
Unfortunately the cathedral was closed during my visit, so I don’t know how it looks inside.

In the upper part of the city, you have an amazing view across the landscape. A bit further to the right you can even see a glimpse of the sea, which we went to later on.
The town is 20 km from the Coast (Côte d’Azur) and 15 km from the city of Cannes with its yachts, sand beaches and luxury shopping. A bit further away to the east lays Nice.

The old town consists of small streets that wind between the 17th and 18th century buildings, passing ancient steps, arched tunnels and a few large squares.

I really enjoyed the few hours in the city, but I would recommend maybe arriving in the morning when the streets are not packed with tourists yet.
Have you ever been to Grasse or heard of the town before?